


Drinks At Devil May Cry

by AKnightOfAGoodKing



Series: Devil May Cry Attends Redgrave Elementary [17]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Alternate Universe, Attempt at Humor, Coffee, Family, Fluff, Silver Fox
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-01 05:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18794200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKnightOfAGoodKing/pseuds/AKnightOfAGoodKing
Summary: Nero's college friends learn that he's the oddly attractive professor's little brother and that he lives on top of a famous underground bar/coffee shop.Or: College AU meets coffee AU meets bar AU meets Devil May Cry.[DO NOT REPOST/REUSE MY WORK(S) WITHOUT MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND PERMISSION]





	Drinks At Devil May Cry

**Author's Note:**

> This may be a continuation of my [Devil May Cry Attends Redgrave Elementary series](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1311875). Honestly, don't know what I'm doing with this, I just wanted to write it.

Nero is taking the general US politics class, and one of the very first assignments is a group project, straight out within the first month of the semester. Luckily, it's only on a federal agency of the US government that no one else had picked yet. The freshman and his partners—Gene, a bio major, and Kieran, an English major—picked the CDC. 

"Where you want to meet up?" Gene asks right after the class session ended. "The library?" 

"Wherever is fine with me," Kieran answers. "I'm free on Fridays."

"Me too, thank god." 

"What about my place?" Nero offers, smiling. "I don't have any classes either, and it's really quiet around the shop anyway."

"The shop?" Kieran repeats, raising an eyebrow. 

"Yeah, my family owns a cafe/bar. If it's just the three of us, it'll be fine." 

"That sounds cool," Gene says, the other nodding in agreement, "I want to check it out. Let's do that."

Nero gives them his address and tells them to be there around eleven, an hour or so after the shop usually opens. 

"You're gonna need to bring your laptops fully charged," he warns. "The old man 'forgot' to put in outlets, but we'll go at it for a few hours and meet up another time."

By the end of the week, both Gene and Kieran arrive at Nero's address, a loopy neon sign glowing on in front of them. They're surprised because Devil May Cry is one of the hottest new places to pop up around campus. They say it's a cafe in the day and a bar at night, but you never know when it's open because it doesn't have strict business days. Plus, it has some strict rules, like  **No more than four in a party, though three is right number**  and  **Chatter is allowed, but do not drown out the music**. Both cafe and bar have some differing rules, but if you get banned from one, you're banned from both. 

And Nero said he lives here? 

The two freshmen share a look, and they brave onward, heading inside. 

The first person they see, really the only other person, is an older man with hair in that impossible color of white that Nero has but longer and slicked back. He's a handsome man, dressed in a casual dress shirt with his sleeves rolled up and beige slacks, and he looks like the picture of serenity as he reads, sitting at the corner of the cafe where two red couches are places, the jukebox playing some classical piece. The window walls allow for sunlight to light up the shop, and it hits him gently, dusting his eyelashes like fairy lights. 

_Oh my god, is this what falling in love is like?_

The man looks up, noticing their presence, and for a second, he looks like Nero. 

"You must be Nero's classmates,” he says softly, getting up. He gestures to the tables. "Sit wherever you like, he'll do down soon. Would you like something to drink?" 

"Uh," Gene says, while Kieran nods with a flushed face. They hold their bags in front of them like shields. 

The man raises an eyebrow, and he huffs, giving them a small menu. "Pick whatever you like, it's on the house today," he tells them. 

The two stutters out their order, picking the first thing they saw because they don't know how to talk to  _very_ attractive men, and they quickly pick a table, one that isn't awkwardly too far in an empty room but not too close to be affected by the man. 

"Is it wrong for me to say I'm questioning my sexuality right now?" Kieran urgently whispers to Gene who's trying not to look over to the bar too much. 

"No," she says just as softly and urgently, "I am too. Who is this man? Is he the devil?"

"I'm pretty sure he's the devil."

From across the room, located next to the bar, they hear footsteps coming down the stairs, and Nero pops up. "Hey, you're here," he says, laptop in hand and taking a seat with them. "Sorry, I was getting my stuff." 

" _Nero,_ " both his partners say at the same time, looking at him with accusing eyes. "Who is that? And why is he  _so hot_?" Gene asks. 

Nero looks confused for a second before figuring out who they're talking about. "Oh, that's just my old man. And ew, don't ever say that to me again." 

"He's so pretty," Kieran couldn't help but say, looking lost. "Please just tell me he's the only one." 

"Of my family? No, I have an uncle, an older brother, two aunts who are pretty much my moms, and a family friend who helps us all the time." 

"You're killing me, Nero, I'm dying right now."

Nero lets out a snort. "Shut up. Here, give me your devices so I can connect you to the WiFi."

The two raise an eyebrow as they oblige. 

"WiFi is only given to regulars, but no one gets to know the password," he explains, typing it in. "Father doesn't want a bunch of people using it and staying for six hours." He pauses. "Regulars know not to abuse it," Nero adds, giving them a halfhearted warning. 

Gene and Kieran nod as if that is sacred, getting their things back. 

That is when Nero's father arrives at their table, a tray of drinks in hand. He places them elegantly in front of them, Nero given a hot latte. 

"Thanks," the teen says without even looking at his father, which doesn't bother the man as he pats his son on the head in response. 

"Tha— Thanks, Mister Yamamoto," Gene says shyly as Kieran once again nod. 

Nero's dad nods in reply, and he goes back to the corner of the room, picking up his book again and returning back to the picture of serenity. 

That's when they got to working on their presentation, finding out information from the CDC's official website and other credible sources. They start a slide show, the sound of their voices no louder than the music playing. 

Going by how well they're getting along and that they're all good students, the project is gaining a lot of footing quickly, and they might only need to meet up one more time by the time it's one.

Several people in during that time period and not staying long, just long enough to finish a few chapters in a book or a double shot espresso. The mess that they left were little to none, save for their empty cups, and Nero's dad took them politely, sparing little words for casual conversation but having many for specific topics. At some point, he was continuing a discussion about a movie that came out ten years ago and got into a heated debate which ended with both owner and the customer saying, "Until next time." 

As empty as it is most of the time, the small interactions with a countable number of customers made the cafe feel familiar, somewhat intimate. It's like coming home to a lover, or a loved one. It's a place to come back to when you need something nice in your day. You'll only be lucky if it opens. 

By the time their laptop batteries is almost out of juice, the shop is empty again, and they agree that what they have is good and that they'll meet up next week, casually talking and making jokes with each other. Nero's dad is at his usual spot, not a bit distracted from his book. Until another pair of footsteps come down the stairs, soft padding along with them. 

"You're up," Nero says, looking over his shoulder, and Kieran's eyes nearly pops out in shock. 

"Professor V?" the English major says. 

Gene has never seen this "professor" before, but there's no way a skinny, pale man who barely looks older than she does be a professor, not at RC. No way. What kind of school would hire someone with tattoos poking out of the collar and sleeves of his large shirt. He looks too small for even the sweat pants he's wearing. What she did not also expect is the large, giant cat(?) beside him and a small blue bird literally sitting on the young man's black hair like a roost.  

She couldn't deny that he's a very pretty man though, like a model. ( _So pretty._ )

"Oh, Kieran," the "professor" greets with a sheepish smile, and he comes over to them, holding a silver cane. "I didn't know you knew Nero."

"I didn't know you knew Nero too," Kieran says too, smiling excitedly. This Professor V must be his favorite already. 

"He's my older brother," Nero answers, shrugging. He looks over to the young professor. "Trish left lunch for you in the fridge." 

The young man hums, gently scraping his knuckles against Nero's cheek before heading though the door behind the bar. The cat and bird follow him. 

"Hey, could you do me a favor," Nero says then. "You mind not telling anyone about all of this? I know this place is pretty popular, and I don't want people to badger me about the shop, or V." 

Gene and Kieran share another look. 

"No problem, Nero," the bio major says with a nod. She smiles. "It'll be our little secret." 

"I don't want my regular's status revoked before I even get to be a regular," the other one says with a laugh.

Nero smiles back. "Thanks," he says. "It was a bit of a risk inviting you here, but everyone was worried I wasn't making any friends since my girlfriend's attending college in Fortuna and my best friend's doing trade school and working at her family's mechanic shop."

They talk longer, getting to know each other, until Nero's dad comes up to them again and announces, "I'm closing up shop for today." It's nearly three o'clock, closing time for the cafe. (Nero's brother went back upstairs a while ago.) 

"Kay, I'll help you clean up then," Nero says, getting up, and he picks up their cups. "Coffee next week?" 

It's a promise. 

 

 

 

 

 

It's towards the end of the semester, and everyone's buzzing about winter break. Nero's invited to go out to a party just right after the last of the exams are done. 

He doesn't say no even though he hasn't started drinking yet (not until he's twenty-one, that's been drilled in his head for years) and there's no way he'll start smoking. Ever. Not unless he wants V to die from just breathing in the same space as him. 

His friends from his psychological class told him they found out about a club that's pretty niche and usually full by within the hour. Nero thinks that sounded familiar, but he doesn't think much about it as he walks to meet up with them on campus. 

"Hey,” he calls out to Mac, Leo, and Pablo who greet him return. They're all sitting in Mac's car. 

"Let's grab some food beforehand," Mac says as Nero gets in the back. 

The teen raises an eyebrow when Leo doesn't pull out his vape as he always seems to do when they ride in Mac's car. It's relaxing, he said. 

They got dinner at a Thai restaurant down the road, ranting all about the last two weeks. By the time they finished, it's nine, and they pile back into Mac's car. 

"What's the place like?" Nero asks. 

"Heard about it from my brother's girlfriend," Pablo replies, looking content. "It's pretty niche and pretty small and gets pretty crowded pretty quick. We might have to wait a while to even get in. She says it's almost always open on Wednesday nights." 

"Damn place has some wild rules though," Leo adds. "No smoking of any kind allowed, including vapes."

"Yeah, the girlfriend said the bouncer can smell it off you like some sort of demon."

"You got your cards?" Mac asks, laughing. They used it a few times before to buy a couple beers, but this is the first time they're going into an actual club. 

Nero would never think about doing this kind of stuff all on his own, but when he's with these guys, it's always fun. Besides, it's not like they're going to do something  _that_ stupid. Yet.

They talk about some other things the rest of the way, driving into familiar scenery that Nero doesn't notice because they all started to make fun of Leo for no reason. 

When they pull up on the street parking lot, his attention is immediately pulled by the glowing neon sign that came with his family when they moved out of the inner city. 

"Fuck," Nero says, really wishing he'd gotten over his childhood habit of waiting things lit and asking questions after. 

"Move your ass, Nero," Pablo says, pushing Nero out of the car. The others seem too excited to even notice their friend's dread, pushing him to keep up with them. 

"We can't go in there," Nero says, but they're already in line, the door closed until room has been made inside, but you can see through the window walls. 

The shop at night is completely different from it during the day. The soft blue walls that his father picked out is speckled with even softer red spotlight. Small yellow lights lit up every table, creating a comfortable atmosphere where people can come for a drink and talk for a bit. No one can get too drunk because the bar is always counting drinks, and regulars get to open tabs. 

Through the window, Nero feels a sharp stare. "I'm in so much trouble," he says, trying to sink behind Mac who's confused. So are Leo and Pablo, but they just shrug him off. 

The door opens, and Trish steps out, pointing at Nero and his friends. "You four, get in," she says, ignoring the people in front but they say nothing, knowing it's better not to complain. Pablo, Leo, and Mac gape at her like they're seeing an angel, as if her yellow hair is spun from gold. "Straight to the bar."

Nero tries not to cross his arms as he walks back into his house, his friends confused as they follow him. 

At the bar is Dante, dressed in skin tight leather pants and a even tighter red V-neck that deeps dangerously low. You can see the outline of his well-defined chest, and he's sporting a smile, looking charming despite his gruff. The man resists laughing, giving the party a wink. Nero hears his friends suck in a breath, even Leo muttering, "Hot damn."

"What do you like, milk or orange juice?" Dante asks, leaning over the bar.

Nero rolls his eyes, flipping his uncle off, and he takes a seat with irritation. "Juice," he orders. 

"It's gonna cost ya." Dante taps the surface. 

The teen glares at his uncle while simultaneously pulling out his wallet and pulling out his fake ID.

Dante takes it, laughing as he pockets it. "Tony Morrison. Cute." He looks over at Leo, Mac, and Pablo. "You Nero's friends?"

The three nods, looking sheepish because they'd realized they're been caught. 

"Then come sit down and have a drink. Drinks are on the house tonight."

"This is my uncle, Dante," Nero explains to his friends who reluctantly take seats beside him. "He runs the bar at Devil May Cry. The blonde is Trish." 

"Why didn't you tell us you lived here?" Mac whispers, after ordering a juice for himself. He feels like a kid, they all do. 

The white-haired teen shrugs, not really knowing himself. "Didn't think it'd be important. There's a lot of places to go to around here. Also, don't want people to bother me about getting them exclusives, that's fucking annoying." 

"I guess. Do I have to give him my fake too? Your uncle a cop?" 

"No, keep it, kid," Dante answers, pulling out a box of orange juice and four glasses. They all ordered juice. "You're not my responsibility, and you're adults."

"I'm a grown ass adult too," Nero protests, rolling his eyes. 

"You sure are, kiddo, but as long as you're living under this roof, I gotta keep you out of trouble. Lady will be on my ass if I break any laws here." The older man turns to his nephew's friends, handing everyone a glass. "So, tell me about yourselves. Nero rarely brings anyone over. He's been kind of a loner because his sweetie and bestie aren't around as much." 

"Oh, you mean Kyrie?" Leo asks, suddenly lost his concern of getting in trouble. He has a knack for making fun of his friends because he's kind of an asshole. He's lucky he's funny. The other teen makes kissy noises at Nero. "I was starting to think she wasn't real because he's never shown us a picture of her." 

Pablo lets out a snort. "He's  _always_ texting her," he adds, snickering. "You'd know because he's smiles like he's got a damn secret." He is also kind of an asshole.

Nero flushes, flipping his finger to the two. "Fuck you," he tells them. 

"He ever tell you about that time that one girl with the blue eyes?" Leo manages to add more, placing an arm over Nero's shoulders. "She had a crush on him for two months, and he didn't even notice a thing. She sat next to him and said hi every single time." Okay, so all three of them are kind of an asshole. 

Dante snorts, leaning over the counter with interest, and his muscles become more defined under his thin shirt. Leo's eyes keep glancing over at the older man's partially exposed chest. "Go on," the bartender says.

That launches a lively conversation between the man and the four teens, everyone effectively trying to embarrass the shit out of Nero because that amuses them. Nero nearly jumps over the counter to choke out Dante when the man tried to tell them about that time in seventh grade when N—

There are a few pauses through the night when someone come to order a drink or two, but the interruptions don't end anything, Dante taking a moment to fulfill the request and coming back to keep talking. In the time that he's gone, Leo, Pablo, and Mac continue to have a good time with any alcohol, which was their main goal earlier. With every hour, they become entrapped by Dante's relaxed and casual attitude. 

(Nero's glad they're having fun, even at the cost of his only fake ID. Mac isn't going to help him get a new one anytime soon, he just knows. Dante had effectively got them on his side, and that side is against Nero ever having fun. Nero just doesn't have all the proof yet.) 

It's a quarter before one in the morning when Trish announces last calls for the night, and most of the guests begin to leave if they aren't ordering one more thing to drink, which meant Dante has to leave his nephew and his friends for a bit. 

"Your uncle's so cool, man," Pablo says on behalf of everyone, on his third glass of juice. "Should've told us, would've came here earlier."

"He's a huge dork," Nero says back, trying to deny that fact. 

"Didn't you mention that he got your bike?" Leo asks, laughing because the other teen's being stubborn."

"Well, yeah, but still." 

Mac ruffles Nero's hair roughly, laughing too.

That's when Dante returns, Trish escorting the last of the guests out the door and making sure everyone takes their leave carefully. 

"Alright, time to go," the man says without any bite, and then he holds out a finger to Nero's friends, "and don't think about coming back here until you're legal to drink. Just bother Nero to come over during cafe hours though, we'll talk some more over coffee."

"That'd be great, Dante," Mac says for everyone, and he gets up. Leo and Pablo nod in agreement as they follow. The three say their goodbyes to Dante and Nero, promising to come back at the appropriate time soon. 

Nero lets out a yawn. "Thanks for not being a huge dick about this," he says. "Are you going to tell Father?" 

Dante smiles. "No way in Hell," he says, taking the last of the glasses. "Kids do stupid things, and they get caught. Learn your lesson and don't get caught again. I trust you to be smart. Vergil too, but you know he likes to scold."

"What about Trish?" 

"What she does is her business, but that can wait. Go to bed, Nero, Nico's coming over tomorrow and everyone needs all the energy to keep up with her. You can talk to Trish later. Just make sure to accept your punishment like a Sparda." 

Nero grimaces, but he can't deny any of that. "Fine. Night, Dante."

"Night, Nero," Dante replies, grabbing his nephew by the hair and pressing a kiss on Nero's head like he's still ten. 

Nero hums in acknowledgement, and he heads upstairs. 

**Author's Note:**

> Fuck it, it _is_ a continuation. Why did I do this to myself???? My Ao3's main is going from Batman to this game, gods damned it. XD Never thought. 
> 
> When I changed my mind, I had to rewrite the entire draft, lol. 
> 
> If you like my work(s), please check out [my Twitter](https://twitter.com/kappachyun?s=09).


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